In the past there has often been a problem of removing a clutch piston of ring shape or annular form from within the axial passageway of a tubular transmission housing. This is because, conventionally, the clutch piston is captivated by means of a C-ring spring nested in a generally inaccessible annular recess in an annular sleeve within the housing. The cluth piston is normally urged by axially extending springs into a position which blocks access to the C-ring. A keeper ring holds a clutch piston yieldingly fixing it within the passageway of the tubular transmission housing. Such a problem is often encountered by mechanics working on transmissions to disengage the piston of low and reverse clutches of 25-350 Turbo-Hydramatic transmission types, Super Turbine 300 and Power Glide. This invention is of a tool to facilitate the difficult operation of repairing transmissions of vehicles with such transmission assemblies; and use of it facilitates access to remove the C-ring spring by a tool, for example, a pair of long nose pliers as shown in FIG. 5.
More specifically, the instant invention comprises a clutch spring compressor tool composed of a compression means in the form of a ring body which is axially movable to remove the C-ring spring or clip which holds an axially movable clutch piston keeper ring and for applying force to compress a plurality of circumferentially arranged axially spaced springs which urge the clutch piston into a predetermined axial position within the tubular housing. This tool is of use because it is often necessary to remove the clutch piston in a preferred type of transmission repair. Oftentimes such transmission housings are provided with a pressure installed axle and it is preferred that repairs take place without disturbing the original factory adjustment with an effect on the normal and efficient operation of the transmission assembly. This invention provides such a tool.
The tool operates in the following manner. The reverse clutch in transmissions of the type for which the tool is intended to be used are located at the rear inside, that is, at the bottom of the transmission, which makes it very difficult to disengage the clutch piston, which is composed of a piston, spring, cover and clip. With the tool, the clip or C-ring spring which holds the axially extending circumferentially spaced springs and keeper ring can be extracted without effort in a few seconds. After the transmission has been disassembled, when all other parts have been removed, the same is mounted over the compressor tool which has a round base upon which one end of the transmission housing rests and this base has a screw with a run-in thread affixed to the center of the base. The screw passes through the center of the transmission and on it a ring is provided. In order to avoid damage to the keeper ring, that is the cover of the circumferentially spaced axially extending springs, this apparatus is of a conical shape in the preferred embodiment. The apparatus exerts pressure against the keeper ring, that is the cover of the springs, by means of a butterfly nut placed on the run-in screw which passes directly through the center of the conical apparatus through an appropriate hole in its center. By advancing the nut pressure is applied which compresses the spring, forcing them down, thus leaving a space for access to remove the C-ring spring.